UK Government Degaussing Recommendations

Here is a guide to the UK Central Government's Recommendations of Physical Destruction for Hard Drives and Magnetic Media (You should always check with your Data Security Advistor for more detailed information).

The CESG, the National Technical Authority for approving Degaussers, currently have no testing facility for Higher Level Degaussing Products so at this time all National Security Agency NSA/CSS Evaluated Products are acceptable to be used to the CESG Higher Level.

All Applied Magnetics Products featured have been evaluated and approved by the NSA and are currently featured in the NSA Evaluated Products List.

CESG recommendations for Securely Sanitising Magnetic Media and Hard Drives which also include removable Magnetic Hard Drives, ZIP Drives, Floppy Disks, SCSI Drives and Software-encrypted Disks commonly found on Desktop or Lap Top Computers include procedures as follows:

Business Impact Levels BIL1 and BIL2: Apply a Destructive procedure to prevent the disk from turning - a suitable Hard Drive Punch or Bender may be suitable.

Business Impact Levels BIL4: Lower Level Degauss and Higher Level Destroy or Higher Level Degauss and Lower Level Destroy - Degauss with a Lower Level approved Degausser AND then Destroy by Shredding through a Hard Drive Destroyer fitted with a 6mm Screen that has been approved to the Highest Level OR Degauss with a Higher Level approved Degausser AND Destroy by Lower Level Shredding.

Business Impact Levels BIL5 and BIL6: Higher Level Degauss AND Higher Level Destroy - Degauss with a Higher Level approved Degausser AND then Destroy by Shredding through Hard Drive Destroyer fitted with a 6mm Screen that has been approved to the Highest Level.